Specks, Sporks, Switches
by Darkness Alit
Summary: Yuri should really consider learning a little bit more about the customs of his kingdom...


Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just really enjoy the anime. And, fair warning, I'm sort of a sub-snob, so spellings will be from the episodes I was watching when double-checking such things (and I do know they change. Poor Yozak/Jozak).

* * *

Yuri couldn't really help it. He couldn't! He was sooo bored. He was happy for Celi, sort of, but the details about the flowers that someone was going to be holding and how they mustn't be prettier than what so and so was to carry didn't interest him in the least. If the subject matter alone wasn't enough to distract him from reality, Gwendal and Wolfram were both quite uneasy about her purposed next husband. Conrad had been on a 'secret mission' of some sorts, according to Wolfram, so his opinion hadn't been tallied yet.

Still... utterly silent princes and utterly uninteresting ex-demon queen made him discover new depths of boredom. He'd finished memorizing the design on his knife and was studying his spork with great attention. Gunter was actually discussing things with Celi, though how attentively he kept track of where everyone was in their meal suggested his mind wasn't totally on the fascinating subject either. He refilled Yuri's glass and then Gwendal's without breaking his 'listening-look' that was trained on the bubbling woman.

Yuri put his spork down and tried to muffle his sigh, glancing at Greta. She smiled faintly at him, picking at her food. He hadn't done much better. Tension and boredom had never made him hungry.

Bored eyes sharpened on a small speck floating in his water. An 'impurity', to quote someone else. Someone who would toss his head haughtily and demand a new glass. Another man would simply smile faintly and toss the whole thing back, accepting the speck as part of the water, a 'come as you are' mentality that Yuri could appreciate. Usually he'd just try not to think about it, or he'd drink 'around it', as it were, trying to get it stuck to the glass. But he was soooo bored. This offered a few seconds of distraction, at least. He brought the glass closer and dipped his spork in, uncertain exactly how to go about capturing the tiny black thing with a spoon that had prongs instead of the unbroken bowl he was used to having. Naturally the speck swam strenuously away from his attempt to capture it, providing him nearly a full minute's entertainment. Then Wolfram bumped him and shot him a quick, green-eyed glare, making the spork and speck fall back into the water.

With a sigh he set the glass onto the table, slumping back into his chair. No one was eating anything more from their plates, but they couldn't leave until the last course had been served.

He held in another sigh and turned to Greta again, seeing her about to dip her sleeve into her meal as she reached for a condiment that was too far for her short arms. He snaked out his arm and caught her sleeve, lifting it up even as he noticed the faint, receding pressure of contact on his arm.

The familiar sound of shattering glass reminded him of where, exactly, he'd put his glass and spork combination, and he internally winced even as he looked down, thinking first of Greta's bare feet.

Brown boots were standing in the puddle, and he followed them up to Conrad's shocked eyes. "Oh, hi Conrad. You just get in?"

When Conrad didn't immediately reply, still looking astonished, Yuri frowned. "Conrad?" He glanced at the others and froze. Celi looked thrilled and concerned by turns as she looked between him and Wolfram. Gunter's mouth was hanging open. Gwendal was studiously ignoring them all... while his brow twitched.

Wolfram slowly stood up, shook his head and tossed his napkin onto the table, leaving without a word.

He looked curiously to Greta, but she shrugged helplessly, just as confused as he was. It wasn't _that big a deal_ to break a glass... Was it?

He sighed and offered his napkin to Conrad. "What just happened?" he asked, resigned.

Conrad took the napkin silently.

Gunter hesitated for a long moment, and then folded his hands and rested his chin on them, looking seriously at Yuri. "You just broke your engagement with Wolfram."

"Oh." That wasn't really so bad.

"By switching fiancés."

Yuri blinked. _That_... could be bad. "Huh?"

Gwendal pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are now engaged to Conrart."

Yuri swallowed. "And how, exactly, did that happen?"

"You knocked a glass of water and a spork into his lap. He didn't stop the glass from hitting the floor, so you're both sealed into the engagement."

For an instant Yuri considered protesting that Conrad didn't really _have_ a lap at the time, as he'd been standing... but by now he knew better than to protest on certain things. If Wolfram was sure it was a binding change, then anything Yuri said would be deemed irrelevant or foolish.

Besides... if he was engaged to Conrad, and it was 'sealed'—an ominous word coming from Gwendal—then it might be best to just deal with this new change in circumstances before alienating his... his _fiancé._

Yuri got up and squished between Conrad and the table, his shoes crunching on glass as he did. He picked Greta up, carrying her to the door before looking back. "Conrad?" he asked, lifting a brow. He'd assumed the older man would follow. "I think we should talk, don't you?"

Conrad blinked, then followed a bit unsteadily.

Yuri put Greta down a few paces outside the door and looked pointedly towards Wolfram's favorite haunt.

She smiled and dashed off.

Yuri reached into a decorative—ugly—vase that he only liked because he could stash things there and no one noticed, and tossed one of the two gloves over his shoulder, throwing the ball up in small arches until they were safely out of sight of the majority of the castle. They were out of hearing distance, at least. He slid his hand into the worn glove, tossing the ball to Conrad.

Conrad was still moving a bit sluggishly, but after half an hour or so of just throwing the ball back and forth they were both a bit more relaxed.

As soon as Conrad had gotten to the point of a small smile Yuri took off his glove and sat down. A glance up made Conrad move closer before sitting beside him, watching the daily life of the castle from this distant perspective.

"Gwendal said 'sealed'."

"Yes."

Yuri glanced sideways when Conrad didn't elaborate.

Conrad inclined his head slightly. "Because your engagement to Wolfram was made more or less permanent by you defeating him in your duel, that semi-permanence is attached to... this engagement as well."

"But that's 'semi-permanent'."

"Your majesty, the only way to have broken your previous engagement was death or a new engagement. The only way you could have proposed to anyone while having confirmed your engagement to Wolfram was through the method you managed this afternoon. Most confirmed engagements are never broken. By shifting your engagement to me, you not only broke it... but that method is a one-time only tradition. Only death can break it."

"Could Wolf have proposed to someone?"

Conrad smiled faintly. "No. You proposed, and you confirmed. Wolfram had no power to change it."

"And neither do you?"

A small shake of the head and the soldier picked up the ball that had rolled a little closer, running a finger over the red laces.

Yuri smiled weakly as he apologized. "I'm sorry, Conrad. I didn't mean to get anyone stuck with me forever. I'm really, _really_ sorry if I'm stopping you from being with someone—or, no, I won't stop you. Go ahead, if you like."

Brown eyes blazed up at him suddenly, making his widen in surprise. "I would never," Conrad growled.

"Eh? Conrad..."

Already shaking his head, Conrad looked down again. "You don't understand, your majesty. For me to carry on an affair would be treason."

"But I wouldn't want to keep you from being happy..." Yuri sighed when he didn't get a response. "Gods," he sighed. "Can't I get anything right? Why didn't anyone tell me about that custom? I wouldn't have left my spork in my glass had I known."

Silence.

"Not that you're the least attractive of fiancés," Yuri added, rather worried at the thought of how little he wanted to see if Conrad was anything like Wolfram when it came to being... oddly irrational, at times. "It's just... I didn't know how serious it was. I thought it was like on Earth, where engagements are broken all the time. After all, there is divorce, isn't there?"

Conrad shook his head.

"There isn't? But... your mother..."

"Has been widowed several times." Conrad looked towards the village. "Gwendal's father and a previous husband died in military maneuvers. Mine of old age."

"O-oh." He closed his eyes and just thought. He was permanently engaged to Conrad... well, permanently unless they got married or one of them died. The latter didn't bear thinking on and he was only seventeen—not ready to deal with the former in any fashion. They were truly stuck. He could never fall in love with some woman and get married to her, have children and raise baby double-blacks to rule the Kingdom peacefully, but with firmness and strength when needed.

And Conrad was even more stuck than he was, as Yuri knew that the King could have affairs if he wished. He also knew that Conrad would... well, his first thought was that Conrad would allow it. But then he'd only known Conrad the Soldier. Conrad the Protector. Conrad the Godfather. Conrad the Lousy Comedian (and yes, lousy deserved a capital letter). He didn't yet know Conrad the Fiancé. On the one hand maybe he would open up a little more. On the other... Wolfram wouldn't have dared to call him a cheater or a wimp and race around the castle yelling at him if they weren't engaged, so mightn't there be things Conrad wouldn't dare, too?

"Conrad... Are you involved with anyone right now?" Yuri had opened his eyes and watched Conrad carefully for any signs of mis-truth or evasion.

"No."

Good. He had slightly less to feel guilty about. All other, similar questions didn't bear thinking about, because neither could do anything about them, anyway.

"Are there any other major cultural differences that I should have learned before being taught how to read?"

"Several. Nothing you must immediately worry about, though."

Conrad the Godfather speak for 'I know you're still thinking, uneasy. Deal with this first.'

Yuri nodded. "Tomorrow?"

"As you wish, your majesty."

Yuri's eyes snapped open again to glare at... at his fiancé. "Conrad," he growled, his eyes narrowing. "I realize this sudden engagement came as a huge shock to you, but the fact that you are now my fiancé and my godfather means that I will have to think up something drastic to do to you if you don't stop calling me 'your majesty'!"

Conrad blinked a few times, obviously floundering in his own thoughts, and inclined his head. "I will try to adjust my habits."

"I've been bugging you to do so for the last two years!"

"I was just a soldier, Yuri, not your fiancé. I had to call you your majesty until you'd excused me."

"Which I did the day we met!"

"It's... one of those cultural things," Conrad finally said with a dismissive sigh.

Yuri sighed as well and closed his eyes again, his mind spinning in unproductive circles until a tentative hand touched his shoulder. He looked over, and noticed how late it had become. "Dinner?" he asked.

Conrad nodded. "If you want to go."

"It wouldn't be right if I didn't show up. If _we_ didn't," he amended. "You haven't even had a chance to talk to Gwendal about your mission."

"Mission?"

Yuri turned around half-way to his feet. "Wolfram said you were on a secret mission." He was balanced precariously on his fingertips, so he couldn't make quote marks, but his tone made them obvious.

Conrad snorted and got to his feet. "I was visiting my father's grave."

Yuri scowled. "Now I can see why you wouldn't want to talk about that, but he could have told me that."

Conrad lifted a brow at him. "And what would you have done?"

Yuri looked at him curiously. "What do you mean? I've no idea where he's buried, and I doubt you'd want any intrusion even if I did... what _could_ I have done?"

"You'd have thought about it, though."

"Well, yeah. I mean, you're... you, and I..." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed at his lack of articulation. "I think you're the closest I have to a best friend, but you're also so much older and you hide so much, so I've no idea if I'm really anything other than 'your majesty' or 'Julia reincarnated' to you, but of course I would have thought about it and wished you well." His eyes widened as he was pulled firmly against a strong chest, feeling Conrad's heart beating beneath his hand.

"You are Yuri," Conrad said, his head bowed next to Yuri's ear. "You have _always been_ Yuri. You always will be." He kissed Yuri's crown. "As for the other, you would have, in short terms, thought about me. Saying I was on a mission ensured you would think about me less."

Yuri switched his thoughts with some minor difficulty through his elation. "You mean he was acting like a jealous..."

"Fiancé?" Conrad asked, lips twitching and eyes shining when Yuri looked up.

Yuri bit his tongue and found himself matching the amused lack of smile. "Yeah," he agreed. "Fiancé." They both chuckled after a moment, Conrad leaning his forehead against Yuri's. "Conrad?"

"Hm?" Conrad straightened and released Yuri, heading towards the castle.

"We haven't really figured anything out."

"Haven't we?"

Yuri cocked his head. Had they? They were engaged, and they couldn't break it. Conrad also seemed a bit more relaxed around him, unwinding enough to subtly admit that Wolfram was a bit... yeah. So... they were going with this? Well, what choice did they have? Yuri snorted and half-smiled, moving more quickly to make it to Conrad's side. "Something, yes, but not everything."

"Mm. But the rest can't really be figured out through talking things out." Then Conrad glanced over. "Unless, of course, you're holding to your heterosexuality."

Yuri flushed, partly at the embarrassing nature of the question, but mostly because of the answer.

Conrad chuckled and tousled his hair affectionately.

Yuri looked up at the relaxed man, and couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't gotten a better deal out of this mess.

Both paused a short distance from the nearest door, and glanced at each other. Conrad smiled crookedly, and nodded. Yuri nodded, and sighed. "Well, we didn't see any smoke..."

Conrad coughed softly, and Yuri arched a brow.

"Okay," he amended his statement. "_I_ didn't see any smoke. He didn't torch my bed, did he? I like that bed. It'll be nice to wake up _in_ it, for once."

"Ah, Yuri." Conrad winced slightly. "About that... It really is best that someone sleeps in the room with you, considering the number of... incidents... we've had."

"I don't want to trouble anyone," Yuri shook his head. "And I don't want some stiff guard standing by while I try to fall asleep. I can survive on little sleep, thanks to Wolfram always kicking me out of the bed at all hours, but I don't think I could survive that. I wouldn't be—"

"It's alright, your—" Conrad broke off quickly and even more rapidly smiled. "Yuri. I can have a cot brought in."

Yuri blinked up at him. "You're volunteering? Oh. That's alright, then. I should warn you—Greta comes in at odd hours." He rubbed his neck absently. "Though really, the room is so huge you could fit a real bed in there."

"It wouldn't be appropriate." At the blank look he was treated to, Conrad elaborated. "A cot for a soldier is one thing. A separate bed for a fiancé has connotations."

"Ah," Yuri enunciated carefully. "We really need to go over those things. Why _wasn't_ I told about all this?"

Conrad hesitated slightly before shrugging. "You weren't told of the method for breaking your engagement to Wolfram for fear you would do so."

Yuri scowled at him.

With a chuckle, Conrad held up a hand. "For all his... personality, Wolfram was not a bad choice of fiancé for a King. No one wanted you to break it without thinking it through, without being certain of what you were doing. Also... Gunter is rather protective of all of his former students, and sometimes even displays moments of fondness for them. It was apparent rather quickly that Wolfram would be hurt by loss of the engagement."

"I really could have done without that reminder, Conrad," Yuri grumbled as they continued into the castle and down the halls to the dining room they used for 'family' dinners. "What do we do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." Conrad smiled slightly, looking down again. "He knows it was no more intended than his own engagement, so he cannot complain about it. He also knows you didn't know you could do that. Apologizing would be foolish, as you never intended either engagement. With time he might even view the change with relief."

"I am sorry, Conrad," Yuri sighed.

Conrad smiled at him, something mischievous and new glinting in his eyes as he ducked into the dining room, leaving Yuri to wonder if he had actually heard the man say 'I'm not', or if it had been a hallucination.


End file.
